Frequently asked questions

Nicky has spent nearly 35 years in the financial services industry, beginning with 10 years in retail banking before moving to private wealth management. Although she has numerous credentials under her belt, the most significant is her CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. The CFP® certification is the top standard for financial planning and the most recognizable financial planning designation across the globe.

Even still, Nicky is dedicated to pursuing new opportunities and continuously working at improving her knowledge base to better service our clients into the future.

For more information on CFP® professionals, please visit the FP Canada website at https://www.fpcanada.ca/

We support almost all types of investment accounts including; cash, margin, USD, individual, joint, informal trusts, corporate, RESP, RDSP, RRIF, LRIF, LIRA, RRSP, TFSA, Spousal RRSP.

Much like your doctor, lawyer, accountant or real estate agent, we offer value to our clients by providing professional and specialized advice. The majority of our clients are on a “fee for service” platform which means that a percentage of their investment portfolio’s value is paid to the advisor for the ongoing asset management and counsel. This fee is transparent and generally much less than those of typical mutual funds, which are charged as an embedded commission based on the volume of buying or selling investments. The flat fee charged is based on a progressive tiered schedule agreed upon by the client and advisor prior to conducting any business. Read more on our "CRM2 – Client Fees and Regulatory Changes" blog post under "News & Views".

Insurance products* and referrals on behalf of our clients may also generate a commission, either a flat fee or a percentage of the sale. We are committed to making all recommendations in the best interest of our clients and any compensation received is merely a by-product of our services.

Essential Wealth Group is a division of iA Private Wealth, a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC). CIPF was designed to protect your assets in the unlikely event that your investment dealer – if they are a CIPF member – becomes insolvent. CIPF will reimburse any shortfall in your account to a maximum of $1,000,000 per separate account held. Coverage is automatic when you open an account and comes at no cost to the investor. CIPF does not cover losses resulting from market fluctuations or from the bankruptcy of a security issuer. For more information, please visit www.cipf.ca.

Together we will determine your risk tolerance based on many factors such as your age, goals, income, comfort level, time horizons, previous investment experience etc. and based on the outcome we will select an asset allocation appropriate for you. Asset allocation refers to which percentage of the overall portfolio will be comprised of fixed income securities, equity securities and, if need be, a cash or cash equivalent wedge.

Annually at a minimum. Reviews may be conducted more frequently if required.

Typically our minimum is $250,000 of investible assets but we welcome anyone to book an initial meeting to determine if our team and services are a good fit for your financial needs.

Absolutely. We can initiate the transfer and have the funds moved electronically to your accounts here.

Yes. We can setup automatic contributions directly from your bank account weekly, monthly, bi-weekly, annually etc. and have those funds deposited and automatically invested in your accounts. You can also setup your accounts as a bill payee with any online banking service and contribute any amount, anytime at your convenience.

Yes. We can set you up with online access to view you accounts at any time. You can also choose to receive your statements online to reduce paper mailings if that is preferred.